Curvy Crochet

Plus-Size Techniques

Learn how to make beautiful crocheted garments that fit right and look great with Marly's professional techniques for customizing a pattern to flatter your unique body.

Have you ever set out to crochet a sweater, spent days of work and hundreds of dollars on yarn, only to end up with something you never wear because it just doesn't? Marly Bird to the rescue!

In Curvy Crochet, you'll select the perfect pattern for your shape, and make easy fit adjustments to bust, sleeves, neckline and other trouble spots. You'll discover the luxurious yarns that make great plus-size clothes, and the ones that spell disaster every time. And you'll learn how to transform swatching from a tedious task into a valuable tool. You'll use your favorite sweater, right out of your closet, to tell you things you never knew about yourself. And you'll make your very own custom dress form ... from duct tape! Get advice and help from Marly as you learn the same techniques designers use for a perfect fit and finish every time.

Lesson plan

Lesson 1. Introduction

Meet Marly Bird, knit and crochet designer who loves to create beautiful things for curvy women. Discover what you’ll learn in this class and what skills you should have to best appreciate the course.

22:36

Lesson 2. Honest Measurements

Job One to achieve perfect-fitting garments is to know your dimensions, so grab a tape measure and some friends, and prepare for an enlightening experience. Marly explains what your favorite sweater will teach you, and shows you how the lacy patterns and motifs of crochet are perfect for plus-size women.

30:00

Lesson 3. Duct Tape Dress Form

Here's where you put those measurement skills into practice. Make a life-size mannequin of yourself! It costs $50, not $400, and helps you check fit as you crochet. Round up some friends and let the duct taping begin!

18:33

Lesson 4. Choosing Patterns and Yarn

Garment design and yarn choice can make a big difference between crocheting something that you'll wear often and something that simply doesn't show off your best. Marly explains how to choose a pattern that will flatter you, and select the best yarn for fit and appearance.

18:55

Lesson 5. Swatching: Creating Your Fabric

Creating a fabric sample tells you a lot about how your garment will perform, before you waste money and time crocheting a garment you don't really like. You'll learn how to use oversized swatches as a stitch library and a test platform for shaping and garment care.

18:59

Lesson 6. Designing With Charts

Charts and diagrams will help you figure out how to take the information from your favorite sweater and use it to change patterns and motifs to make them your own. Marly shows you tricks to make thinking in pictures easy and practical.

18:26

Lesson 7. Shaping Waist and Hips

Using the Amimono Kimono, a simple dolman-sleeve sweater in an asymmetrical stitch pattern, Marly breaks charting down to show you how straightforward it is. You will learn how to use shaping so your sweater fits perfectly, adding design elements that flatter.

14:05

Lesson 8. No More Pain in the Neckline

A sweater's neckline frames your face, so if your pattern includes a neckline that doesn't flatter you, change it! Marly explains how and gives tips about shoulder shaping.

21:24

Lesson 9. Demystifying Armholes

Properly sized armholes make a big difference in comfort as well as how your garment looks. Marly walks you through the math and charting so you see how armhole shaping is done, and how to adjust an armhole without a lot of complicated stitch pattern changes.

36:10

Lesson 10. Shaping Sleeves

Ill-fitting sleeves pose problems for many plus-size women. Take your sleeve and armhole measurements, and let Marly show you how easy it is to adjust a sleeve cap to set in perfectly and fit like a dream.

Marly is a very knowledgeable and witty instructor who makes learning new things so enjoyable. Loved the course and feel confident that from now on all of my crocheted wearables will fit perfectly. Love the Craftsy format which allows me to have long-term access to the classes, access to ask the instructors questions and see the comments and projects of fellow classmates. - scowan4738Hazel Green, AL

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Lesson 1. Introduction

Meet Marly Bird, knit and crochet designer who loves to create beautiful things for curvy women. Discover what you’ll learn in this class and what skills you should have to best appreciate the course.

22:36

Lesson 2. Honest Measurements

Job One to achieve perfect-fitting garments is to know your dimensions, so grab a tape measure and some friends, and prepare for an enlightening experience. Marly explains what your favorite sweater will teach you, and shows you how the lacy patterns and motifs of crochet are perfect for plus-size women.

30:00

Lesson 3. Duct Tape Dress Form

Here's where you put those measurement skills into practice. Make a life-size mannequin of yourself! It costs $50, not $400, and helps you check fit as you crochet. Round up some friends and let the duct taping begin!

18:33

Lesson 4. Choosing Patterns and Yarn

Garment design and yarn choice can make a big difference between crocheting something that you'll wear often and something that simply doesn't show off your best. Marly explains how to choose a pattern that will flatter you, and select the best yarn for fit and appearance.

18:55

Lesson 5. Swatching: Creating Your Fabric

Creating a fabric sample tells you a lot about how your garment will perform, before you waste money and time crocheting a garment you don't really like. You'll learn how to use oversized swatches as a stitch library and a test platform for shaping and garment care.

18:59

Lesson 6. Designing With Charts

Charts and diagrams will help you figure out how to take the information from your favorite sweater and use it to change patterns and motifs to make them your own. Marly shows you tricks to make thinking in pictures easy and practical.

18:26

Lesson 7. Shaping Waist and Hips

Using the Amimono Kimono, a simple dolman-sleeve sweater in an asymmetrical stitch pattern, Marly breaks charting down to show you how straightforward it is. You will learn how to use shaping so your sweater fits perfectly, adding design elements that flatter.

14:05

Lesson 8. No More Pain in the Neckline

A sweater's neckline frames your face, so if your pattern includes a neckline that doesn't flatter you, change it! Marly explains how and gives tips about shoulder shaping.

21:24

Lesson 9. Demystifying Armholes

Properly sized armholes make a big difference in comfort as well as how your garment looks. Marly walks you through the math and charting so you see how armhole shaping is done, and how to adjust an armhole without a lot of complicated stitch pattern changes.

36:10

Lesson 10. Shaping Sleeves

Ill-fitting sleeves pose problems for many plus-size women. Take your sleeve and armhole measurements, and let Marly show you how easy it is to adjust a sleeve cap to set in perfectly and fit like a dream.

The instructor

Marly Bird, Instructor of Curvy Crochet

Marlaina "Marly" Bird fled the world of financial services to launch her Yarn Thing podcast and hasn't looked back since. To Marly, a bi-craftsy girl who both knits and crochets, the yarn is the star, not how you work with it. She's creative director for Bijou Basin Ranch Yarns and the co-author of Curvy Crochet (Leisure Arts, 2011). You've seen her designs in Knit Simple, Interweave Crochet, Knitscene, Inside Crochet, Wild Fiber and Petite Purls, and in the books Perfectly Plus and Knitting Plus. In her spare time she raises three kids in suburban Denver.

Ratings & reviews

Class rating

(9 reviews)

Just What I Was Looking For!

by LizFox on March 12, 2015

I've been working on designing my own sweaters and Marly does a great job of explaining the whole design process. She is a great teacher and this class is filled with useful information. Thank you!

I've been working on designing my own sweaters and Marly does a great job of explaining the whole design process. She is a great teacher and this class is filled with useful information. Thank you!

Curvy Crochet Intro

by LorraineCooper1960 on September 2, 2014

Bubbly enthusiastic presenter and looking forward to starting working on patterns for real women!

Bubbly enthusiastic presenter and looking forward to starting working on patterns for real women!

More, please!

by RebeccaVelasquez on March 7, 2014

I just spent the morning on my second watching of this class. I absolutely love it! Marly is a fantastic instructor. She's personable, funny & informative. While I *can* knit, my passion is crochet. I would LOVE to see more crochet classes and definitely more of Marly!

I just spent the morning on my second watching of this class. I absolutely love it! Marly is a fantastic instructor. She's personable, funny & informative. While I *can* knit, my passion is crochet. I would LOVE to see more crochet classes and definitely more of Marly!

More classes with Marly Bird, please!

by CarlaDAmico on January 28, 2014

Great class and great teacher. I learned more than I thought I ever would and Marly is so pleasant and answers all my questions. Craftsy needs to add more classes with Marly.

Great class and great teacher. I learned more than I thought I ever would and Marly is so pleasant and answers all my questions. Craftsy needs to add more classes with Marly.

BARGAIN!

by Kaboosie on September 23, 2012

I paid $AU14 for a couple of hours of information, a duct tape dress form tutorial, two patterns, access to a learning community and an online teacher (with a gorgeous personality and manner) who will answer my questions. WHAT'S NOT TO LOVE????

Really great information at such a reasonable price. Thanks, CRAFTSY!

I paid $AU14 for a couple of hours of information, a duct tape dress form tutorial, two patterns, access to a learning community and an online teacher (with a gorgeous personality and manner) who will answer my questions. WHAT'S NOT TO LOVE????

Yes. Once you learn how to adjust a pattern to fit your body, whether you need to make it bigger or longer or shorter, you will find your crocheted sweaters will fit better than ever, no matter your size.